WASHINGTON: Alleging that Pakistan has for decades leveraged radical terrorist groups to carry out attacks in India and Afghanistan, a US lawmaker has introduced a bill that proposes to deduct $50 million from the US aid to Islamabad everytime an American is killed "as a result of actions of ISI."
Congressman Dana Rohrabacher introduced the Pakistan Terrorism Accountability bill (PTA) of 2012 on Friday in Congress.
The legislation would require the Department of Defense to list all Americans killed by terrorist groups operating with impunity inside Pakistan and Afghanistan and supported by elements of the Pakistani government.
For each person killed, $50 million would be subtracted from US foreign assistance to Pakistan, a requested $2.2 billion, and given to the victim's family. Rohrabacher is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.
"For too long America has funded the Pakistani government, giving it free money, while elements of the ISI and Pakistan's military operate radical Islamic groups that are actively murdering Americans. Americans will not accept this," Rohrabacher said.
"Pakistan has for decades leveraged radical terrorist groups to carry out attacks in India and Afghanistan," he said.
"Pakistan helped to create the Taliban and Pakistan's intelligence service hid Osama bin Laden from the US for years. Today, one of the most dangerous and sophisticated groups killing American troops in Afghanistan is the Haqqani Network, which is closely operated by the Pakistani government," Rohrabacher alleged.
Former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, has said the ISI directed the Haqqani Network to plan and conduct "the assault on our embassy [in September 2011]... We also have credible evidence that they were behind the June 28 attack at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul."
Mullen has also said "the Haqqani network acts as a veritable arm of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency," said the statement issued by his office.
According to the legislation Pakistan, through Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), maintains control and influence in Afghanistan through militant Islamic networks, such as the Haqqani Network, in order to secure its strategic position and expand its sphere of influence, not only in Afghanistan, but also in Kashmir and against India.
Asserting that ISI has strong links with the Haqqani network, the legislation says that it shall be the policy of the US to limit its foreign assistance to Pakistan if Pakistan's military or intelligence services continue to support or provide assistance to organisations that target United States citizens.
"Of the amounts made available for assistance to Pakistan for fiscal year 2013 or any subsequent fiscal year, the President shall withhold $50 million for each United States citizen who is killed as a result of actions of Pakistan's ISI or support provided by the ISI to other organisations or individuals, including the Haqqani Network," it said.